


night and day

by atimi (bertee)



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Abuse, Domestic Violence, M/M, Semi-Public Sex, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-15
Updated: 2010-09-15
Packaged: 2017-11-02 03:26:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/364464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bertee/pseuds/atimi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The sun is already hanging high in the sky by the time Jared hauls himself out of bed and pulls on his least crumpled shirt and pants.</p>
            </blockquote>





	night and day

The sun is already hanging high in the sky by the time Jared hauls himself out of bed and pulls on his least crumpled shirt and pants.

Even as he jogs through the bustle of the village, he knows he's going to be late and when he catches sight of Jensen sitting on the edge of the well, he wonders if he'll be any more punctual once they move in together or if he'll just make Jensen late right along with him.

He watches Jensen stare out into the depths of the forest and slows his pace a little, keeping his footsteps silent as he creeps up behind him. It's hard to control his grin when he gets close enough to see the bundle of food Jensen has prepared for their date but he stays quiet for long enough to get up close behind Jensen, hoping to catch him off guard.

He pounces with a playful growl, wrapping his arm around Jensen's waist and hauling him backwards so that they don't overbalance into the well as he says in a deep voice, "Got you now, boy!"

Expecting laughter, Jared doesn't know how to react when Jensen kicks out, his struggles weak and panicked as he begs, "No, please!"

Jared freezes and Jensen pulls free hard enough that he sends himself tumbling to the ground. He scrambles away from Jared, dirt and dust smearing his clothes, and Jared steps forward in an attempt to calm him down. "Jensen! It's me. It's just me."

Jensen stops backing away and looks up at him for the first time. Jared watches the terror ebb out of his body as he takes him in, and as unnerving as Jensen's reaction was, Jared's glad to know that it wasn't him he was scared of.

He reaches down to help him to his feet but can't ignore the way Jensen's hand is still shaking when he reached up to grab his wrist. "I didn't mean to scare you," Jared says, feeling guilty. "I just wanted to surprise you, s'all."

Jensen still looks skittish but he submits to Jared's hands smoothing over his shoulders and chest in an instinctive gesture of protection and reassurance. "I'm fine," he says, going against the lingering edge of fear that Jared can smell on him. He looks down, shoulders hunched and cheeks pink in embarrassment. "I just thought you were a hunter or something."

Jared frowns. The one time they'd faced a hunter, Jensen had been as ready to fight as any alpha, and the sight of him cowering and begging ignites every protective instinct Jared has.

He just didn't think Jensen would ever need protecting from him.

"I'm sorry," he says, pulling Jensen in close and burying his nose against his neck to breathe his scent in deep. Jensen curls into the embrace, seeking protection and reassurance as his own nose brushes Jared's neck, and Jared pulls back to kiss him on the jaw.

Jensen smiles shyly at the contact, tilting his head to let Jared have his way with him, but Jared doesn't take it further. Cupping Jensen's cheek, he meets his eyes and asks, "You'd tell me if there was something wrong, wouldn't you? I know you have this 'need to please' thing going on sometimes but it goes both ways."

His eyes flicker down to Jensen's freckles, seeing them standing out more on his tanned skin from all the afternoons they've spent rolling around in the meadows together, and he says, "Talk to me, Jen. Please?"

The green of Jensen's eyes is hidden by the shield of his lashes when he drops his gaze. "There's nothing to talk about," he says quietly. "Everything's fine."

He looks back up with a forced spark of brightness back in his face and his facade of obedient perfection back in place. "Lunch?" he says, so hopefully that Jared would feel cruel to refuse him. "I made your favorite."

 

+++

 

Jared pursues Jensen as soon as they make it to the meadow.

He shifts when Jensen sets the basket of food down on the grass, feeling the usual internal explosion of power as his body changes from that of a man to that of a wolf, and he bounds across the grass towards Jensen with a playful bark, leaving his clothes strewn on the ground.

He sees Jensen smile, apparently recovered from whatever spooked him earlier, and Jared watches him shift too, green eyes where Jared's are hazel and lighter-colored fur than the deep brown of Jared's own coat. Abandoning the basket, he darts away, hanging out of Jared's reach as he offers up the silent challenge to Jared to chase and claim.

The meadow is small, a field bordered by forest on three sides, and Jared chases Jensen in and out of the trees and the long grass, outpacing him with long strides on the flat but losing him between the trees as Jensen darts through the woods with an agility that outmatches Jared's. He doubles back, crouching low in the grass until Jensen emerges and then chasing him down with a teasing growl.

He tackles him to the door right by the food basket, rolling over and over in the grass until he has Jensen flat on his back beneath him. He nips at his neck, shaking and biting just enough to tickle, and he raises his head to meet Jensen's eyes as they shift back to human at the same time. Conscious of their nudity, Jared presses his body against Jensen's, covering him as much as he can as he kisses him, rough and deep and with the same amount of fierce need he had in his animal form.

They fit together perfectly, bodies and minds in tune just like the rest of the mated pairs in their pack, and Jared licks inside Jensen's mouth as he grinds down against Jensen's hip. Jensen gasps beneath him, plump lips parting to let their tongues slid together, and Jared rocks his hips down to feel Jensen's hardening cock brush against his own.

The sun beats down on his back and Jared lifts his head with a smile to see the spark in Jensen's eyes as he lies there in Jared's shadow. "Can't wait 'til we can live together," Jared says with a grin. "Wanna wake up like this with you every day."

Jensen's smile dims but he turns his head to kiss the inside of Jared's wrist as he says, "I don't know, man. I don't wanna get squashed if you climb on top of me every morning."

Jared laughs and bites at Jensen's neck, teeth scraping over the skin as Jensen shivers and fails to hold back a laugh. "Squashing is not on my agenda," he says between kisses to Jensen's bare skin. "Kissing and licking and fucking and spooning are all on the list, but not squashing."

"Good to know," Jensen says but groans when Jared rocks his hips forward again.

Jared's hard already, has been since the second he had a naked Jensen underneath him, and as he rubs their dicks together at a slow but steady pace, he guesses Jensen's most of the way to hard too. Jensen eases an arm up between their bodies and licks at his palm and fingers before holding his hand out to Jared in invitation. Desperate for more stimulation to his dick, Jared laps at Jensen's palm too and then braces himself on his forearms as Jensen reaches down between them and wraps his spit-slicked hand around both of their dicks in turn.

The stimulation is almost too much, from the pressure of Jensen's hand to the feel of his cock and bare body against Jared's dick, and Jared breathes through it, not wanting to come yet. He presses a hot, needy kiss to Jensen's lips, loving the way Jensen opens instantly for him and the way he parts his legs with a slutty little moan, and then seals his mouth against Jensen's vulnerable neck, kissing and sucking as Jensen pumps their dicks, in turn and then together.

Heat floods Jared's body, like the pulse of the shift but hotter and deeper than even that as he gives into the feel, scent, sound, taste of Jensen writhing beneath him.

Jensen looks beautiful, body laid out on the grass, eyes closed and lip caught between his teeth as he surrenders himself to Jared and the impending orgasm, and Jared sucks his mark harder into Jensen's neck, pressing his teeth against his throat as Jensen shakes and comes, crying Jared's name and clutching at his shoulders. Jared follows a second later, come falling thickly across Jensen's stomach and his own chest as he rides the high, mouth still pressed to Jensen's neck.

Sated, Jared drops onto his back next to Jensen and reaches over to ruffle his hair until Jensen laughs and bats him away with the sleepy complaint, "No petting. Bad Jared."

Jared makes his best dog-like whimper and noses at Jensen's cheek. "How about kissing?"

Jensen smiles and turns his head into the kiss as he murmurs, "Kissing's good."

Feeling the exhaustion setting in, Jared relaxes into the kiss, keeping the contact slow and lazy as Jensen snuggles up against him. His legs slot in against Jensen's and he twines their fingers together as Jensen pulls back with a bashful smile on his reddened lips. "We should eat," he says quietly, apparently happy to stay tucked against Jared. "The food'll go bad in this heat."

"I can manage that." Groaning, Jared reaches over to the basket and pulls out a pot of grapes before rolling one against Jensen's lower lip. "See? Food."

Jensen's lips part to receive the grape and he swallows it down with a smile as Jared says, "I could live with doing this all day. We can move in together and you can sit around while I hand-feed you." He beams at him. "And then we can fuck."

Jensen gives him an indulgent smile. "That sounds like an awesome plan."

"Yeah?"

Jensen rests their foreheads together and kisses him. "Yeah." His voice shakes a little when he whispers, "I can't wait."

 

+++

 

The sun's sinking low behind the trees by the time Jared and Jensen make it back to the village with an empty basket, dirty clothes and matching smiles.

Jensen's house is closer to the perimeter of the village and Jared feels Jensen grip his hand tighter as his parents' house comes into view. "Jen? You okay, man?"

Jensen nods quickly, eyes fixed ahead on his house. "I'm f-fine. I just don't like saying goodbye."

Jared smiles and comes to a stop outside Jensen's house to drop a soft kiss on his lips. "I hate it too," he admits, stroking his thumb over the vivid red hicky he left on Jensen's neck. "But it's only during the night and only for a couple more years. Then we can set up our own house together and buy a huge bed and you can mock me for getting too excited over color swatches."

Jensen laughs at that and Jared kisses him again, not breaking away until he hears the sound of the door opening. Licking his lips, he tugs down the front of his shirt (which does nothing to hide the grass-stains) and smiles up at where Jensen's father is standing in the doorway. "Evening, sir."

Jensen's dad's smile doesn't reach his eyes even if his tone is friendly enough, "How are you, Jared? You taking good care of my boy here?"

"Dad..." Jensen says softly but Alan doesn't look at him.

"Uh, yes, sir," Jared answers, confused. "I'm doing my best."

"I'm sure Jensen appreciates that, don't you, boy?" Alan says, and Jared just has time to catch the humiliated flush that spreads across Jensen's face before his dad speaks again. "I bet your parents are real proud of you, Jared."

"Yes, sir," Jared says again but it comes out more as a question than a statement. "You're proud of Jensen too though, right?"

Alan's expression goes carefully blank but Jensen steps between the two of them before Jared can question his dad any further.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Jensen says, holding the basket in one hand and resting the other on Jared's chest.

Jared kisses him but frowns when Jensen pulls away quickly. "I- I'll pick you in the morning," Jared promises. "Sleep well, Jen."

He watches Jensen turn away and head over to where his dad is waiting for him in the doorway. His shoulders hunch in tighter as he gets closer to the door and Jared catches sight of Alan's hand curling around the back of Jensen's neck as he guides him inside.

The door slams shut behind them and as Jared turns to go home, he can't help but feel like he just made some kind of mistake.

 

+++

 

Lost in thought, Jared makes it all the way across the village and to the door of his house before he realizes that he's still holding Jensen's basket after carrying it back from the meadow for him.

He hesitates at the door, debating whether to take the basket inside and return it tomorrow, but the sense of unease is still lingering in his gut. Making his choice, he begins the walk back to Jensen's house and finds that he's grateful for the excuse to check up on his mate.

The sun is almost hidden when he reaches Jensen's house for the second time that evening and Jared's relieved that there's no full moon to bring on an involuntary shift as he hooks the basket over his elbow and goes to knock on the door.

He puts a polite smile on his face and raises his fist but freezes when he hears a shout from inside the house.

It isn't directed at him - it's barely loud enough to be heard through the wood of the door - but it's enough to make Jared's heart hammer faster in his chest.

He presses his ear to the wood and catches the end of a shout, "-slutting around!"

It's Alan's voice and Jared pulls away from the door when he hears Jensen cry out. Heart pounding, Jared moves as swiftly and as silently as he can, shifting away from the door and around to the window of the family room where he guesses the voices are coming from.

He's proven right when he sees Jensen's dad standing in the middle of the room, anger in his eyes, and Jared creeps closer to the window to be able to hear and see what's going on. However, his mouth falls open when he sees Alan grab Jensen by the front of his shirt and drag him in close before fisting a hand in his hair and pulling his head sharply to the side.

"Look at you," Alan growls, and even from a distance, Jared can see the livid red mark on Jensen's neck that he himself made that afternoon when he pressed his mouth to Jensen's skin and kissed and licked until Jensen was squirming and laughing. "You've got his mark on you like you're some goddamn bitch for him to claim."

He shoves Jensen back against the wall, hard enough that his head thunks against the wood, and Jared sees Jensen struggle to stand as Alan approaches again.

"Is that how I raised you, boy?" he asks angrily. "Did I raise you to spread your legs for the first punk that comes along?"

Jensen shakes his head and stammers, "N-no, si-"

He doesn't even get the words out before Alan backhands him hard across the face. Jared starts in shock, heart clenching at the sight of Jensen - his Jensen - in pain, but he's rooted to the spot and can't do anything but watch when Alan hauls him upright again. "You'll speak to me like a man, boy. Like my father and his father before him and every fucking generation of this family, not like some scared little shit who bends over and takes it like a woman at every opportunity."

"Dad," Jensen begs, lifting his hands in a useless defense. "Please, Dad, don't. I'm sorry-"

"Sorry?" he repeats coolly. "You should be sorry! You're a disgrace to this family!"

"Please-"

"Shut up!" Alan bellows, driving his knee into Jensen's stomach hard enough to make him drop to the floor, gasping for breath.

He kicks him while he's down, slamming his booted foot into Jensen's side again and again until Jensen is curled up at his feet, trying to protect himself from his father's rage. Torn, Jared stands at the window, wanting to run to Jensen's aid but knowing that he's no match for the strength of his elders. He thinks about running to get Jeff, demanding the intervention of the Pack leader, but he can't stand the thought of Jensen being out of his sight for another second, and so he keeps watching, swearing silent oaths that he'll make Jensen's father pay one way or another.

Standing over his son, Alan tugs his belt out of his jeans and Jared thinks he's going to throw up when he sees him crouch by Jensen's face and pull his head up by the hair.

"How many times?" he asks bluntly. "How many times did you get fucked today, boy? How many times did you come for him like the slut you are?"

Jensen's shaking and Jared sees the tears running down his cheeks as he gives his answer, "Three, sir."

Alan hauls Jensen over the arm of the couch so that he's propped up on his knees. The ease of the movement suggests this is routine in the Ackles' household and Jared's head swims with guilt at the knowledge that he's never done anything to stop this, that he's never even noticed that Jensen's dad beats the shit out of him behind closed doors.

"Thirty lashes," Alan says with a smirk. "Maybe you should convince Padalecki to keep it in his pants next time. Count them."

The belt comes down on Jensen's back with a brutal slap and Jared's stomach rolls at the choked-off count of "One, sir," that Jensen gets out before his dad hits him again. Jared doesn't know what's worse: the sight of Jensen like this, terrified and alone and in pain, or the fact that Jared's responsible for it all, the fact that none of this would be happening if he hadn't initiated the relationship between the two of them.

Biting down on his tongue and swearing vengeance, he watches Jensen's father dole out the thirty lashes with relish. By the time it's done, Jensen's sobbing into the couch, his shirt torn to pieces and his back crisscrossed with violent, bloody welts.

Alan crouches beside him again, catching his chin and lifting his head up to force Jensen to look him in the face when he says, "Are you sorry, Jensen? Are you sorry for disgracing this family by letting him fuck you like that?"

Jared expects more forced compliance from Jensen - if someone had taken a belt to him thirty times, he knows he'd be saying whatever they wanted to hear - but he does a double-take when, despite the bruise on his face and the tears down his cheeks, Jensen shakes his head in defiance. "No, sir."

Stunned, Jared braces himself for more violence as Alan's lips narrow into a tight line. "Then you leave me no choice, boy."

He hauls Jensen up again, and Jared sees him struggle to get his feet underneath him as his father drags him from the room. Jared's view is limited and he peers through the window to see Alan shove Jensen through a door into a room that Jared's never been in before. There's a loud jangle of metal and then Alan emerges a second later without Jensen in tow.

Jared frowns as he locks the door behind him and calls out to his wife, now sounding cheerful as ever, "I'll be up in a second, honey. I was just talking to Jensen about his day."

Jared jumps when the house suddenly goes dark and it takes him a second to realize that Alan just switched the lights off. He hears the thunk-thunk-thunk of him going upstairs and heading to bed then blessed silence as the Ackles' residence settles down for the night.

Terrified and sickened by what he's just seen, Jared leans against the wall and lets out a slow, shaky breath, trying to process what he's seen and, more importantly, work out how to stop it from ever happening to Jensen again.

 

+++

 

As Pack leader, Jeff Morgan scares the shit out of Jared at the best of times, and so Jared finds his heart thumping in nervous terror as he knocks on Jeff's door in the middle of the night.

He fights the instinct to run away as soon as the knock sounds out, reminding himself that Jensen's safety is way more important than getting yelled at for dragging Jeff out of bed, but he swallows hard when the door swings open.

Dressed in jeans and worn, layered t-shirts, Jeff doesn't look like he's just got out of bed and Jared thanks god for small mercies when Jeff looks at him with concern, like he understands that Jared wouldn't be on his doorstep at midnight without good reason. "Jared? What's the matter?"

"Jensen," Jared blurts out, not knowing how to phrase it. "I was with him today and then I dropped him back off home but I forgot his basket so I went back to give it to him and-"

"Jared," Jeff interrupts, just loudly enough to command his attention. "What happened to Jensen?"

"His dad hit him," Jared says, feeling guilt twist inside him at putting Jensen's secrets out in the open like this. "And I don't mean like a slap for talking back or a cuff to the back of the head for being a dumbass. He beat him, Jeff. He hit him and kicked him and then got his belt-"

Jeff's expression is dark and his tone is businesslike when he cuts in again, "You saw this?"

Jared nods. "I heard shouting and went to watch through the window. I wanted to help him but his dad's stronger than I am and I didn't want to make it worse. I know it's against Pack law for someone to raise a hand to their parents but he can't be allowed to do this to Jensen. Please, Jeff."

Jeff backs inside to pull on his boots as he asks, "Why was he beating him? Did you hear anything?"

Jared looks down. "He was angry about Jensen being with me. He said he was a disgrace to the family, said he shouldn't l-let himself get f-fucked by someone." His voice shakes on the last few words and he blinks back tears at the thought that it was his fault, that Jensen would be safe if it wasn't for him.

He jumps when Jeff rests his hand on his shoulder and Jared looks at him as the tears start to fall. "I didn't mean to get him in trouble," he whispers, feeling sick and wretched and guilty. "I didn't know..."

"Hey," Jeff says firmly, "this is not your fault, you hear me? You and Jensen are mated and there's no shame in that for either of you." He reaches over to grab his keys and his jacket and Jared swallows hard when he sees him slide a gun into the holster on his hip and fix handcuffs to his belt. "I should've seen this coming after all the alpha-pride stuff Alan's come out with over the years."

Jared frowns and Jeff explains, "The Ackles' men have been alphas for more than fifty decades now." Jared raises his eyebrows and Jeff rolls his eyes. "And yeah, Alan's the kind of guy who cares enough to figure that shit out. I guess he didn't take too kindly to Jensen taking on a beta role with you."

"We can switch?" Jared offers hopefully, not knowing if that's even possible. "He can be the alpha if it stops his dad doing this to him. I mean, my mom's an alpha so my parents won't care which way around it is."

"It doesn't work like that," Jeff says before turning and calling up to his wife, "Goin' out, Sam!"

Sam's answer of, "'Kay!" carries down the stairs and Jeff shepherds Jared out as he continues, "Your wolf goes with one or the other. There's no changing it and there's definitely no shame in it. You boys are just fine as you are." His mouth thins out into a tight line. "Alan's a different matter."

They make it across the village in no time with Jared falling into pace with Jeff's quick strides, but his stomach does an unpleasant flip when they find themselves on the doorstep of the Ackles house. The lights are all off and there's no sound from inside, but Jeff's knock sounds out loudly on the door. "Alan! It's Jeff Morgan - we need to talk!"

Glancing around, Jared sees lights flicker on in some of the other houses as people wake up and peer out of their windows at Jeff's shout. It's more than a little unusual for the Pack leader to be making house calls at midnight and Jared wonders how long it'll be before word reaches his parents.

The lights go on inside Jensen's house and Jared instinctively shifts backwards behind Jeff's shoulder when Jensen's dad opens the door, dressed in his pajamas and looking half-asleep and surprised. "Morgan? What're you doing here? Was there an attack?"

Jeff's voice is cool and authoritative. "You tell me."

Alan's brow creases and Jared stands his ground when his gaze jumps to him. "Jared? Shouldn't you be at home? It's past midnight, son."

"I'm not your son," Jared spits but refrains from saying more when Jeff raises a hand.

"I had a report that something happened to your son," Jeff says, still being cautious. "Anything you want to tell me, Alan?"

"What? No!" Alan says forcefully. "Everything's fine here." His eyes cut to Jared and he asks, almost sounding hurt, "Is this your doing? I know you and Jensen can't live together for a couple more years, Jared, but that's hardly a reason to get the Pack leader involved."

"Where is Jensen?" Jeff asks. "I'd like to speak to him."

Alan draws himself up to his full height and manages to sound apologetic and accusatory all at once when he says, "Look, Morgan, I appreciate your concern but it's the middle of the night. Jensen's asleep and my wife's waiting for me upstairs. Can we sort this out in the morning? I'll send Jensen over to see you right after breakfast."

Jeff's expression doesn't soften. "I'm going to need to speak to him tonight, Alan."

"Then I'm going to have to refuse," Alan says. His eyes dart up to the surrounding houses where people are now watching openly from the windows or standing out on the street in their robes. "Come back tomorrow, Morgan."

He goes to swing the door closed but doesn't get far. Jeff slams his foot against it, sending it clattering open and catching Alan across the face as it does so. He staggers back, hand to his cheek, and Jeff steps inside with Jared close behind him as he asks again, "Where's your son, Alan?"

"Jared!"

Jared whips around at his mother's yell, just in time to see her and his father emerge from the crowd that is gathering outside the Ackles' house. "Jared, what in god's name is going on?"

She stops abruptly when she sees Jeff next to him, evidently working out that it wasn't Jared who just kicked in someone's front door, and looks between Jared, Alan and Jeff in confusion. "What's this?"

"He beat up Jensen," Jared says, glaring at Alan. "He beat him and kicked him and whipped him and I saw all of it."

He hears his mom gasp and ripples of surprise travel through the gathered crowd at the information. Jeff raises his hand for silence, and Jared can practically hear his momma's mouth snap shut as Alan stammers, "I-I never raised a hand to him. He's lying!"

"I'm not-"

"Jared," Jeff says, a warning in his voice before he turns back to Alan and lets his tone become icy and demanding, "Where's Jensen?"

Alan presses his lips together in a clear refusal to answer, and Jared speaks up in the silence, "He's in there." He points to the unknown door near the foot of the stairs and says, off Jeff's questioning look, "I saw him lock him in there before he went to sleep."

The declaration is met with silence from all fronts and Jared finds himself holding his breath as Jeff strides across the room, grabs the key from the hook on the wall, and fits in into the lock.

He turns the key, opens the door, and a split-second later, the situation descends into chaos.

Jared barely has time to register Jensen's presence before Alan's fist collides with his face, sending him stumbling back against the wall as pain flares up along his cheekbone. Over the throb of agony, he can make out his mom's cry, Jeff's shout, and the uproar amongst the crowd outside, and he gets his arm up in time to blow Alan's second blow and to land a punch of his own to his gut.

Spurred on by rage over what Alan did to his son, Jared hits him again with untrained but furious blows which collide again and again with Alan's face and body until he's sprawled out on the floor, bleeding and gasping for breath.

"You don't touch him again," Jared orders between deep breaths. "You don't fucking come near him ever again!"

He goes to lunge forward again but is held back by Jeff's hand closing around his upper arm and the sharp command, "Jared! Leave it."

Breathing hard, he backs off and watches as Jeff trains his gun on Alan and tosses the cuffs in his direction with the barked order, "Put them on, asshole."

Still kind of dazed from the punch, Jared turns around to see his mom standing at the foot of the stairs with an arm around Jensen's mother. Jared's more than ready to yell at her too, ask her how she could let this happen to her son, but his anger cools in an instant when he catches sight of the bruise on her face that matches the one that's blooming on his own cheek.

Hating Jensen's dad even more, he hurries past his mom to where his dad is crouched by the open door where Alan had thrown Jensen earlier that night.

His breath catches in his throat when he finally gets a look inside.

The room's tiny, little more than a leaky wooden closet that's too cramped for a wolf, let alone a human. Jensen's curled up as much as he can, crammed into the tiny space and held there by the thick metal collar fastened around his bruised neck that Jared's dad is still trying to unlock. He steps aside when Jared gets closer, offering him the keys and squeezing his shoulder in silent understanding, and Jared sinks to his knees next to Jensen, trying to appear strong when Jensen looks up at him with a mixture of exhaustion and terror in his eyes.

"Hey," he says softly, reaching out to unlock the collar that's keeping Jensen chained to the wall like a dog. "It's me. It's over - you're safe now."

Jensen looks up at him in confusion, blinking against the bright light. "I don't... How-"

"I saw what your dad did to you," Jared admits. "And I'm so sorry I didn't do anything to stop it right there and then, but I had to go get Jeff and..."

His reasoning doesn't seem so good now that he knows Jensen was locked up in a room barely wide enough to sit down in, but Jensen seems to have a different opinion as he smiles at him in disbelieving gratitude. Helping him out of the room, Jared winces at the messy gashes littering his back and the bruises he can see on his face and through the rips in Jensen's shirt. "We need to get you to the medic," he says, worried. "You're hurt..."

Jensen shakes his head and curls up closer against Jared as he sits back against the wall. "I'm okay," he murmurs. "I'll be healed by morning. Always am."

Feeling queasy at the reminder that this has happened before, Jared kisses the top of Jensen's head as he watches Jeff and his dad lead Alan outside. Facing the crowd, Jeff says loudly, "All right, I'll follow the announcement procedure in the morning but here are the basics. Mr Ackles here is going into holding for more counts of assault than I care to work out right now and he's staying there until his wife and son decide whether they want to press charges in the outside world."

Jared looks to Jensen but sees that his eyes are fixed forward as Jeff concludes, "Either way, Mr Ackles ceases to be a member of this Pack from this moment on. As part of a bonded pair, his wife can stay with him without any shame or punishment on her part if she so wishes," -Jeff looks over to where Donna is shaking his head vehemently- "or she can kick his sorry ass out and leave him to rot," Jeff finishes cheerfully, earning an approving smile from Jensen's mom. "And now the show's over, ladies and gentlemen. Go back to your homes."

The crowd disperses and Jared holds Jensen close as he watches his dad and Jeff lead Alan away to the cells. Their moms turn to face them, still wrapped in a supportive hug, and Jared catches the gentle instruction from his mother, "You and Jensen should get some rest, sweetheart." She smiles at them. "I'm so proud of you both, you have no idea."

Jensen lowers his head but before he can say anything to the contrary, his mom speaks up too, "That goes for both of us." Jensen looks up in surprise and Jared swallows past the lump in his throat when Donna says with a teary smile, "I love you, baby."

"Love you too, mom," Jensen whispers, hand curling in Jared's shirt, and he rests his head against his shoulder when their mothers move away into the family room, talking quietly between themselves in hushed voices.

"Can you walk?" Jared asks, giving Jensen a gentle hug. "I can carry you if you want? I'm strong and manly like that."

Jensen laughs and Jared's heart does a happy little skip at the sound. "I'm good," he says, smiling, but he still grips onto Jared's upper arms as they get to their feet and head up the stairs with tentative steps.

It isn't far to Jensen's room and once they're inside, Jared helps Jensen out of his ruined pants and shirt, being careful not to bump his hands against the dark bruises covering Jensen's torso. Even in the moonlight, he swears he can make out the shape of Alan's boot on Jensen's skin and he can't stop himself from kissing Jensen as he helps him get settled in bed, just grateful that he's alive and healing up.

"I should go," he murmurs, crouching by the side of the bed and running his hand through Jensen's hair. "You need some sleep."

"Stay," Jensen says, looking tired and fragile on his own in the double-bed. "Please?" He twines his fingers with Jared's and looks up at him with big, pleading eyes. "I want you to."

Already coming down from the adrenaline high, Jared doesn't need much more persuading to strip down to his underwear and to climb under the sheets. It feels instantly right, with Jensen's body pressed up against his in an embrace that's purely about comfort rather than sex, and Jared snuggles further under the blankets as Jensen kisses him softly on the lips and whispers, "Thank you. For everything."

Jared thinks of Jensen's refusal to renounce their relationship, even when his dad was laying into him with everything he had, and he means it when he replies, "You don't need to thank me. You'd do the same for me."

He turns his head into the kiss, wanting to make Jensen feel safe and at home but not wanting to pave the way for anything more, and they settle like that for a moment, sinking into slow, light kisses as they both start to succumb to sleep.

Jensen's voice is drowsy but content as he pulls back from the kiss and burrows into Jared's arms as he murmurs, right on the edge of sleep, "Love you."

Happy to have Jensen safe and sleeping in his arms, Jared decides that there's no way he's going to let them be apart again. Pushing away thoughts of bruises and beating, he lets himself drift away into sleep as he whispers softly, "Love you too."


End file.
